Slat or panel for furniture structures



P 1965 D. J. MURRAY ETAL 3,205,008

SLAT OR PANEL FOR FURNITURE STRUCTURES Filed June 29, 1962 Fig. 3

lNI/E/VTORS Dona/d of Murray She/don M Earle/ by Attorney United States Patent 3,205,008 SLAT 0R PANEL FOR FURNITURE STRUCTURES Donald J. Murray, Coral Gables, and Sheldon M. Rutter, Miami, Fla., assignors to Afco-Murray Corporation, Miami, Fla., a corporation, of Florida Filed June 29,1962, Ser. No. 206,406 2 Claims. (Cl. 297-452) This invention relates generally to furniture, and particularly to chairs, lounges or gliders of that type usually employing fabric or fabricated seats and backs.

The type of furniture here generally referred to is usually constructed of lightweight frames having spaced apart parallel body members to which fabric or fabricated seats and backs are secured. The material of which these seats and backs are formed usually deteriorates with usage and when it becomes frayed or broken considerable expense and difiiculty is encountered in suitably restoring them to use. It is the primary object of the present invention to provide fabricated back and seat portions for furniture of this general character which provides long wear against deterioration or defect, which may be easily and quickly assembled in the supporting frames, which possess great comfort to users and which are capable of being replaced in part or in whole by easy means, in short time, and without the special exercise of skill or knowledge.

The invention also embodies seat and back panel-s which may be formed by injection moulded processes of synthetic material, such as polyethylene or fiberglass, fashioned in such manner as to be interlocked with one another in assembled relationship in the frame to provide a continuous or composite surface and which is susceptible of varying designs for aesthetic purposes.

With the foregoing objects in view, together with others which appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement :of parts, all as will be described more fully hereinafter, illustrated in the drawings, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional lightweight chair equipped with slats or panels embodying the invent-ion,

FIG. 2 is an enlarged top plan view of one end of the slat,

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken upon line 33 of FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a modificat-ion in the slat connecting means, and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary elevation showing a pattern which may be impressed or moulded in the surface of the slat.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the chair as shown in FIG. 1, is of well known construction provided with legs 10, spaced apart substantially parallel seat rails 11 and similar back rails 12 all formed, in this instance, of lightweight hollow metal elements. In fumiture of this general type nowadays, in the interest of lightweight without sacrificing strength, aluminum tubing is used as constituting these parts.

The improved back and seat panel-s 12a or slats are moulded or otherwise formed of suitable material, such as polyethylene or fiberglass, and the panels constituting "ice the bottom as well as the back are relatively narrow and of sufficient length to extend between the spaced apart back and side rails 12 and 11. If desired, these slats may be slightly concave in the interest of comfort to the user. Each panel or slat is provided at its end with an integral transversely disposed tubular element 13 extending the entire width of the panel, and these tubular elements fit over and slide upon the seat and back rails. The seat and back slats engage with one another throughout their lengths in substantial abutment, and each is preferably provided upon its rear face and along its longitudinal edges with right angularly disposed reenforcing flanges 14. It will be understood that when the panels or slats are applied in the manner stated, they will be in substantial abutment with one another throughout their lengths. When suflicient number of slats are applied to the seat and back rails to properly fill in the space between them, the end slats may be fa'stened in any desired manner, such as by screws or pins 15 passing through the tubular element 13 and anchored in the adjacent rail, while the abutting flanges 14 of the several slats may be secured together in order to provide a substantially solid back or seat. The flange at one edge of a panel may be provided with an opening indicated at 16, while the flange of the adjacent panel is provided with a moulded right angularly extending projection or nib 17 to snap into said openings and thus securely hold the abutting slats together. This arrangement maintains the slats in proper relationship to one another and prevents them moving laterally with respect to each other.

If desired, the nib or projection 17 may be omitted, as shown in FIG. 4, and the abutting flanges may be provided with registering openings to receive securing bolts indicated at 18.

These slats being preferably formed of synthetic materials and by a moulding process are susceptible of being impressed with various designs. In the present instance, the surfaces of the slats are moulded or embossed to give the appearance or resemblance of a cane effect, but it is obvious that other designs may equally as Well be employed.

Furniture provided with seats and backs in accordance with the invention may easily and readily be assembled. As stated, the panels are moulded so as to provide the desired curvature, and being of the material stated possess a sufficient degree of flexibility to enhance comfort to the user. By securing the slats together longitudinally, there is no opportunity for the slats to bend or flex independently of one another because a substantially monolithic surface is maintained at all times.

In instances where the slats are formed of yieldable or flexible material, such as polyethylene or fiberglass, the projections or nibs 17 may have their ends slightly larger than the openings 16 so as to bring about indentations at their bases whereby interlocking engagement between the flanges is obtained.

We claim:

1. The combination with an article of furniture of the type having seat and back portions and comprising substantially straight and parallel side-frame members for said seat and back portions; a plurality of attenuated panel elements in substantial alignment with each other and extending between, and connect-ing said substantially straight and parallel side-frame members; the upper longitudinal edges of said panel elements being provided with periodically spaced right-angular tabs which extend rearwardly with respectthereto; the ends of said, panel ele-,

ments comprising laterally disposed integral loops which slidingly embrace the aforementioned substantially straight and parallel side-frame members; and locking means for maintaining the abutting tabs of said panel elements in tight engagement with one another.

2. The combination with an article of furniture of the type having seat and back portions; of a panel moulded :of a single piece of material of a desired length and having longitudinally parallel side edges, .the ends of said panel being provided with integrally formed loops which are in parallelism with one'another and extending throughout the breadth of said panel; and periodically spaced reenforcing tabs extending at substantial right-angles to the surface of the panel and at oneof the upper longitudinal edges thereof and rearwardly directed with respect thereto, said tabs being adapted for connection to similar tabs on an adjoining panel.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,024,066 3/62 Anderson et a1 297248 3,054,643 9/62 Militano 297440 3,061,374 10/62 Grosfillex 297-440 FOREIGN PATENTS 548,357 6/56 Belgium. 1,097,948 2/55 France.

FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner. 

1. THE COMBINATION WITH AN ARTICLE OF FURNITURE OF THE TYPE HAVING SEAT AND BACK PORTIONS OF COMPRISING SUBSTANTIALLY STRAIGHT AND PARALLEL SIDE-FRAME MEMBERS FOR SAID SEAT AND BACK PORTIONS; A PLURALITY OF ATTENUATED PANEL ELEMENTS IN SUBSTANTIAL ALIGNMENT WITH EACH OTHER AND EXTENDING BETWEEN, AND CONNECTING SAID SUBSTANTIALLY STRAIGHT AND PARALLEL SIDE-FRAME MEMBERS; THE UPPER LONGITUDINAL EDGES OF SAID PANEL ELEMENTS BEING PROVIDED WITH PERIODICALLY SPACED RIGHT-NGULAR TABS WHICH EXTEND REARWARDLY WITH RESPECT THERETO; THE ENDS OF SAID PANEL ELEMENTS COMPRISING LATERALLY DISPOSED INTEGRAL LOOP WHICH SLIDINGLY EMBRACE THE AFOREMENTIONED SUBSTANTIALLY STRAIGHT AND PARALLEL SIDE-FRAME MEMBERS; AND LOCKING MEANS FOR MAINTAINING THE BUTTING TABS OF SAID PANEL ELEMENTS IN TIGHT ENGAGEMENT WITH ONE ANOTHER. 